Last days
by Undercover Tony Stark
Summary: It's easy to forget when you're young that not every illness can give the patient a chance at a complete recovery. DashxKara, mentions of LeoxEmma.


The one thing we tended to forget when caught up in all our red bander business was that it was all temporary. We weren't going to be here forever. Patients always end up leaving one way or another and there's no way around that. So one by one, the red bander numbers began to decrease.

Charlie was first. Once he gained back the neurological ability he had before the accident, he was totally fine. Of course, they ran test after test to make sure but Charlie's head injuries healed. And he was free to live the rest of his life. He's twenty one now. He's had quite the string of relationships but we think he may just settle down with his latest catch. Who knows? When you spend so much time asleep I guess you must just be itching to live life in the fast lane.

Second gone was Jordi. See, he was one of those somewhat lucky cancer patients (If there is such a thing as a lucky cancer patient) that responded very well the treatments. He went into remission and after about a year or so, he was cancer free. And he stayed cancer free. Lucky bastard hasn't relapsed once. Twenty three now. Works in social services. Married to a beautiful girl that keeps him on his toes, an aspiring actress. He's happy. I guess that's all that matters.

Then Emma, she eventually began to overcome her ED. It was a hard road but she did it. She was 15 pounds heavier and a thousand times happier by the time she left ocean park. She's had a couple of wobbles here and there but for the most part, she no longer has anorexia. Though it's always going to be a part of her. And, I know what you're wondering, we dated for about a year or so after she left but college was coming so fast, I had to let her go. I didn't want to hold her back. She's actually studying medicine. She has a new boyfriend. They seem really happy together. I'm happy for them. Really. I am.

Kara next, it took her some time to get that heart and then recovery, as you could guess, was pretty long. But with Kara, the real achievement was the breakthrough to who she really was. Yes, she still specialises in dark humour and sarcasm but she's a lot more sensitive now. She allows herself to be emotionally vulnerable. That's all down to Dash though. He saw right through her and we all saw from early days she was different with him than she was with us. Dash being Dash, he could bring out the real Kara. I don't even remember how they got together all of a sudden they were just... together.. Both twenty four now. Who'd have guessed they'd be the ones to last? Kara the bitch and Dash the player. Huh. Life is surprising.

Then Me. I relapsed twice in those eight years. Cancer's a bitch. But I'm officially three years cancer free and I couldn't be more grateful. I went to college and no I didn't pursue soccer. I didn't want my disability to define me. I'm actually a journalist. I write in the sports column for the LA times. On the occasion I'll throw reference to my cancer years but it's not and is never going to be the primary focus and I'm very grateful of that also. It's not that I'm not proud of being a cancer survivor, heck you'll find it in a my twitter bio, it's just I'm happy they care about my writing above all. I've had a couple girlfriends here and there, nothing too big and special. I don't know what it is but I have a habit of fucking every possibly good relationship up. And I don't know why. And before you assume, no I'm not still hung up on Emma. I can't possibly be. It's been six years. I can't be.

And then you have Dash. Dash is uh kind of a tender topic. He was always coming and going. See, we didn't realise it at sixteen but, in some way shape or form, we all had a chance of being cured. Jordi and I could go into remission and become cancer free. Charlie could wake up and regain all neurological function. Emma could overcome her disorder. Kara could get her new heart. But Dash would always have cystic fibrosis. I didn't realise it sixteen but though we were all sick, only one of us was chronic. I always had assumed once Dash got his transplant he was done. He was through and his life would be normal but that wasn't the case. What I didn't realise at sixteen was that a lung transplant doesn't cure CF. In fact it only prolongs the CF'ers life about ten years max. So Dash did get his transplant at sixteen. But, of course, it didn't stop everything. And after about five years with the new lungs everything kind of spiralled down. And the worst part was when he found himself right back to where he started, I was on my way out. I've yet to have a more bittersweet day than the day I left the hospital for good. I was so happy that I was finally done but I had this horrible pang of guilt leaving my best friend alone. If it wasn't for Kara, I don't know how I would have left.

Kara works with her mom's to help pay for everything. Dash hates that. His parents still help out too. How could they not?

And here we are now. Eight years later and we're finally having to deal with something we always knew was a possibility but never spoke of. The last days of a fellow red bander.

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><p><strong>Hey so I wrote this little ditty after a post I saw on tumblr noting how Dash was the only red bander without the possibility of complete recovery, this was actually written a little before most recent episodes so some facts here and there maybe a little off.<strong>

**Sorry for the Dara but I do adore them together :3**

**After a lack of Dash fics on this archive, I decided to post one of my own. Let me know if I should continue!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Lucie Lee**

**xx**


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